Skip to main content

Employment Discrimination Against Schizophrenia

Psychiatric Quarterly volume 80, pages 9–16 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

This paper addresses the issue of employment discrimination against individuals with a history of schizophrenia. There are three illustrations, two of which come from Asian countries, where the discrimination tends to be more openly expressed than in the West. Maintaining competitive employment is crucially important for individuals who are recovering from schizophrenia; indeed, employment is an inherent part of recovery. The paper makes recommendations for clinicians, advocates, patients, and employers.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  1. Alison-Bolger YY: The original sin of madness—or how psychiatrists can stigmatise their patients. International Journal of Clinical Practice 53:627–630, 1999

    Google Scholar 

  2. Dunn EC, Wewiorski NJ, Rogers ES: The meaning and importance of employment to people in recovery from serious mental illness: Results of a qualitative study. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal 32:59–62, 2008. doi:10.2975/32.1.2008.59.62

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Cook JA: Employment barriers for persons with psychiatric disabilities: Update of a report for the President’s Commission. Psychiatric Services 57:1391–1405, 2006. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.57.10.1391.

  4. Dalgin RS, Gilbride D: Perspectives of people with psychiatric disabilities on employment disclosure. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal 26:306–310, 2003. doi:10.2975/26.2003.306.310

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Marwaha S, Johnson S: Views and experiences of employment among people with psychosis: A qualitative descriptive study. International Journal of Social Psychiatry 51:302–316, 2005. doi:10.1177/0020764005057386

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Lauber C, Rössler W: Stigma towards people with mental illness in developing countries in Asia. International Review of Psychiatry 19:157–178, 2007. doi:10.1080/09540260701278903

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Han SH, Chung SC, Lee MH, et al.: Discriminating function of preemployment medical examination and necessity of changing over to preplacement medical examination in Korea. Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 9:170–177, 1997

    Google Scholar 

  8. Catty J, Lissouba P, White S, et al.: Predictors of employment for people with severe mental illness: results of an international six-centre randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry 192:224–231, 2008. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.107.041475

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  9. EFL-Law: http://www.efl-law.com/. Part of the Time-Taylor network. Copyright© 1997–2008 EFL Law Group. Last Updated 18th/July/2008. Accessed July 29, 2008

  10. Kato T: Significance of cross-cultural experience for young psychiatrists—learning from “The Joint Workshop for Psychiatric Residents of Korea and Japan.” Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 108:1194–2000, 2006

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Ilbo JA: Problems of People with Disabilities are not Somebody else’s Business. Honolulu, Hawaii, The Korea Central Daily of Hawaii [Changaein munje nam ui il man anida], April 20, 2001, p. 22

  12. Chung W, Lee N, Rhi BY: The introduction of Western psychiatry into Korea (II). Psychiatric education in Korea during the forced Japanese annexation of Korea (1910–1945). Uisahak 15:157–187, 2006

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Park JI, Lee SD, Chung EK, et al.: Discrimination against mentally ill persons in Korean legislative system. Journal of the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association 43:237–241, 2004

    Google Scholar 

  14. Kim SW, Yoon JS, Lee MS, et al.: The analysis of newspaper articles on psychosis. Journal of the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association 39:838–848, 2000

    Google Scholar 

  15. Stuart H: Media portrayal of mental illness and its treatments: What effect does it have on people with mental illness? Central Nervous System Drugs 20:99–106, 2006

    Google Scholar 

  16. Tsang HW, Angell B, Corrigan PW, et al.: A cross-cultural study of employers’ concerns about hiring people with psychotic disorder: Implications for recovery. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 42:723–733, 2007. doi:10.1007/s00127-007-0208-x

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Yang LH: Application of mental illness stigma theory to Chinese societies: Synthesis and new directions. Singapore Medicine Journal 48:977–985, 2007

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Ng CH: The stigma of mental illness in Asian cultures. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 31:382–390, 1997. doi:10.3109/00048679709073848

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Chiu MY, Chan KK: Community attitudes towards discriminatory practice against people with severe mental illness in Hong Kong. International Journal of Social Psychiatry 53:159–174, 2007. doi:10.1177/0020764006074556

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Seok JH, Kim CH: Improvement of socio-occupational function in schizophrenia. Korean Journal of Psychopharmacology 17:117–121, 2006

    Google Scholar 

  21. Yip KS, Ng YN: Chinese cultural dynamics of unemployability of male adults with psychiatric disabilities in Hong Kong. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal 26:197–202, 2002. doi:10.2975/26.2002.197.202

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Wong JC, Lieh-Mak F: Genetic discrimination and mental illness: A case report. Medical Ethics 27:393–397, 2001. doi:10.1136/jme.27.6.393

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Disability Rights Commission: http://83.137.212.42/sitearchive/DRC/about_us/mental_health_action_group/minutes_of_13th_meeting_-_3_au.html 2006 DRC. Design & Technology by Reading Room. Accessed July 29, 2008

  24. Glozier N: The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and psychiatry: Lessons from the first seven years. Psychiatric Bulletin 28:126–129, 2004. doi:10.1192/pb.28.4.126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Lee CR, Kim YH, Yoo CI, et al.: Mental disorders and fitness for work in Korea. Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 15:224–236, 2003

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, 250 College St., Toronto, ON, Canada, M5T 1R8

    Mary V. Seeman

Authors
  1. Mary V. Seeman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mary V. Seeman.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Seeman, M.V. Employment Discrimination Against Schizophrenia. Psychiatr Q 80, 9–16 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-008-9089-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-008-9089-8

Keywords

  • Schizophrenia
  • Employment
  • Discrimination
  • Job accommodation
  • Korea